Again, "Yellow Peril"

William Randolph Hearst, in whose fertile mind the stern duties of a patriot and the hot desires of a journalist are constantly interbreeding, raised his head alertly at Japan's announcement, last spring, that though she had withdrawn from the League of Nations, she had no idea of relinquishing her League-given mandate over the Marianne, Caroline, Palau, Yap and Marshall Islands in the Pacific (TIME, April 3). The Yellow Peril has for 30 years been a great circulation-getter for the Hearstpapers, which the Hearst-whooped Spanish War put on the map. Here came the Yellow Peril to squat permanently between the U. S.-possessed Philippine and Hawaiian Islands! And every one knows that a War Party has been dominant in Japan for two years! Publisher Hearst last week slathered his papers with a half-page editorial and half-page map under the screamer line: "Only Preparedness Will Prevent War." It sounded alarming even for alarmist Publisher Hearst. Excerpts:

"But when Japan takes strategic steps, preliminary to the occupation of the Philippines and Hawaii, and the prosecution of her long contemplated war upon the United States, that IS our American bus- iness; and this newspaper advises our Government at Washington to take heed and prepare.

". . . Japan . . . has driven a strategic wedge of Japanese dominion between the two American island possessions, the Philippines and the Hawaiian Islands.

"Japan's purpose is obviously to absorb both of these American possessions at the psychological time.

"The Philippines we are helping the Japanese to acquire through our political corruption and stupidity.

"When they have got the Philippines and added them to the island mandate they have refused to give up, the Japanese Empire will be half way across the Pacific and able to contact and control the Hawaiian Islands, which they now populate.

"Moreover, Japan will have greatly increased her population by these acquisitions.

"The war between Japan and the United States, long considered possible, will then be inevitable, projected by our neglect of our rights and duties as a nation, by our dull indifference to our public welfare, and by our shortsightedness in not seeing the obvious menace which has been impending.

"We will then enter the war under the greatest possible disadvantage, while Japan will have acquired the greatest possible advantages. . . .

"If our democracy continues to be as dull in defense as it has always been, the attack will find us unaware and unprepared, and as a consequence Japan may establish herself as the permanent dominant power of the Pacific, forbidding us, as defeated Germany was forbidden, to operate certain classes of ships, or to compete with the victor in any way in its waters, and possibly compelling us to pay a great indemnity and to surrender to her some part of our Pacific Coast mainland.

''Such disasters have been inflicted before by alert, aggressive military nations upon easy going, indifferent pacifist nations whose government was neglectful, short-sighted and incompetent. . . ."

Observers, noting Publisher Hearst's prediction for future reference, recalled with comfort that best opinion in Japan, as reported to last month's Institute of Pacific Relations meeting at Banff, is that a Russo-Jap war--almost equally rich in copy for Hearstpapers--will undoubtedly precede any Hearst-Jap war.

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